Mill and feeding means therefor



' Sept. 24, '19219. Y 1, W, FRANK MILL AND FEEDING MEANS THEREFOR Filed July 7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Sept. 24, 1929` l. w. FRANK MILL AND FEEDING MEANS THEREFOR Filed July '7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR a 524ML u/ JM Paeneavsepf. 24, 192e UNITED sTaTl-:s

PATENT OFFICE f ISAAC W. FRANK, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED ENGINEER- ING & FOUNDBY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF, PENNSYLVANIA KILL AND FEEIJING MEANS THEREFOB Thel present invention relates broadly to the art of metal rolling, and more particularly to an improved mill of the character frequently referred to as a three-high mill.

In mills of the three-high type, it is cuss tomary to make. successive passes of the material being rolled above and below the center roll. ,The present invention relates more particula'rly to feeding means cooperating with a c mill of this character effective on the material for producing the desired feeding movement thereof into the rolls from opposite sides thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, there 5is 5 shown for purposes of illustration only, a

preferred embodiment of the present invention, it beingv understood that the drawings do not define the limits of my invention inasmuch as changes in the construction and opi0 eration of the various parts disclosed in the drawings as well as in the particular construction of the mill may be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or the scope of my broader claims. v

In the drawings,

IFig. 1 is an end elevation, largely diagrammatic, of one form of mill constructed 1n accordance with the present invention; and,

Egg. 2 is a side elevation of the mill shown In accordance with the present invention, there may be provided the mill housing 2 of any usual construction having mounted therein an upper roll 3, an intermediate roll 5 4, and a bottom roll 5. These rolls have a surface contour dependent upon the character of work which the mill is designed to do, as well understood in the art.

Secured in any desired manner to opposite o'in i0 sides of the housing, or constituting integral parts of the housing as may be desired, are supplemental frames 6 herein illustrated as comprising I-beams. This supplemental frame is provided with suitable bearings 7 =5 for the reception of shafts 8. yThese shafts have secured to the opposite ends thereof, crank wheels 9 from which crank pins 10 project in a generally outward direction. Mounted on each of the shaftsand preferably at an intermediate portion thereof as indicated in Fig. 2, is a' sprocket wheel 11 around which passes a chain 12 of such construction as to cause the shafts when driven to rotate in unison. lThe crank vwheels on one of the shafts may be of such construction as to effectively cooperate with balancing means capable of counter balancing to the desired extent the weight of the cranks and their associated pants. This may be accomplished as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings byO providing peripherally extending grooves 13 in the crank wheels and providing balance weight chains 14 for cooperation with such grooves; These chains may carry suitable balance weights and bumpers 15 for the pur- 65 pose hereinafter more fully pointed out.

Mounted on one side of the frame adjacent the lower roll 5 is a relatively stationary pinch roll 16 preferably supported bywa backing up spring 17 whereby a certain yielding 70 of the pinch roll in a downward direction is permitted. This pinch roll is driven in any desired manner, but preferably by providing the neck thereof with a sprocket 18 around which passes a sprocket chain 19 cooperating 75 n with a sprocket 20. on the wobbler or roll ,neck of the lower roll.

On` the opposite side of the mill adjacent the upper roll 3 is a similar pinch roll 21 driven in like manner by a sprocket chain 22 cooperating with a sprocket 23 on the wobbler or roll neck of the upper roll 3, By reason of this construction, it will be apparent that the pinch rolls 16 and 21 are continuously driven in one direction, this direction being such as to eiiect a feeding move` ment ofy any material in Contact therewith in the direction indicated by the arrows in the drawings. l

Cooperating with the relatively stationary pinch rolls 16 and 21, respectively, are rela- .tively movable pinch rolls 24 and 25. The

roll 24 is carried at each end by a pitman 26 operated by the corresponding crank pin on the crank wheel 9, while the pinch roll 25 is carried by generallyr similar pitman rods 27. With this construction, with the parts in the full line positionindicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be apparent that the pinch rolls 16 and 24 are in cooperative relation, whereby any material placed between the same will be fed into the pass between the rolls 4 and 5. After 'being subjected to the action of these rolls it wilP pass outwardly over the pinch roll 25 which at this time is in its lower position. After completion of the rolling operation between the rolls 4 and 5 inthe first pass, a suitable control may be operated to energize the driving m'eans for the shafts 8 and thereby effect synchronous rotation thereof in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 through substantially 180. Such rotation will be effective for moving the rolls 24 and 25 to their dotted line positions, this taking the roll 24 out of cooperation with the pinch roll 16 and into a plane above the plane of rolling established by the rolls 3 and 4. It will also bring the pinch roll 25 into cooperative relation with the relatively stationary roll 21 whereby these rolls will be effective for feeding the previously rolled material into the pass, or one of the passes,

between the rolls 3 and 4. After completion of the rolling in this pass, the control is again actuated to effect rotation of the shafts 8 in the reverse direction through substantially 180 of movement, thereby restoring the parts to the full line positions in which the pinch rolls 16 and 24 are effective for a succeeeding feeding movement into the pass, or one of the passes, between the rolls 4 and 5.

The foregoing operation may be carried on until thel rolling is completed.

It will be apparent that the invention, although not limited to mills in which each of the rolls 1s provided with a pluralityl of passes, is particularly adaptable for use in connection therewith, inasmuch as the shifting feeding means becomes alternately effective for feeding movements. The raising movement of the pinch roll 25 may be utilized to assist in raising the material from a lower pass to an upper pass, while the movement of the pinch roll 24 to its dotted line position places it in such position that it will lie above the material issuing from a pass between the rolls 3 and 4. This is very fimportant, since .f it makes it unnecessary to effect any feeding movement of the material by hand as would be necessary if the roll 24 were-not moved to its upper inoperative position. S

The counter balancing mechanism may be of such nature as to counter-balance to any desired extent the weight of the crank pit-v men, ani parts carried thereby, wherebythe operation of the driving means for the shafts 8 is facilitated.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such driving means may embody limit switches of such nature as to effect a cessation of the driving operation after substantially 180 of rotation of the shafts 8 has been accom lished.

The shi ting feeding mechanism in the form of pinch rolls disclosed herein may be applied to existing mills by the attachment thereto of a suitable auxiliary frame effective for carrying the operating parts, or it may constitute a special part of mills having housings of such design as to cooperate therewith.

Certain advantages of the present invention are inherent in the use of a feeding mechanism for mills and more particularly a feeding mechanism of the pinch roll type shiftable alternately to operative and inoperative positions to facilitate not only feeding movement of the material, but manipulation thereof as required.

` I claim:

1. Feeding mechanism for mills, comprising relatively fixed pinch rolls, relatively movable pinch rolls, and means jfor effecting movement of said relatively movable rolls into and out of feeding relation to the relatively fixed rolls, there being counter-balancing means for said relatively movable rolls.

2. In a three-high mill, providing upper and lower passes, a relatively xed feeding means cooperating with each yof said passes,

and a relatively movable feeding means comiddle roll, and a lower roll, a relatively-fixed f' driven Ipinch vroller positioned to feed the piece being rolled between the middle andbottom rolls, a relatively-fixed driven pinch roller positioned to feed the piece being rolled between the topand middle rolls, movable idle pinch rollers which are' raised and lowered together cooperating alternately with the two driven pinch rollers, and means for moving the pinch rollers.

5. In a three high mill, an'upper roll, a middle roll, a lower roll, a relatively stationary inch roller disposed beneath a movable pinc roller at one side of the mill for feeding material between the lower and middle rolls, a relatively movablepinch roller disposed at the other side of the mill for receiving the material, elevating the ,material after it has passed between the bottom and middle rolls, and bringing the material into engagement with a relatively fixed pinch roller for returning the material between the middle and the upper roll, and means for simultaneously C moving the movable pinch rollers, whereb the first mentioned movable pinch roller 1s disposed above the material during the return iass. l In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. f'

ISAAC FRANK. 

